Ohio To Get Honda’s Money

 
Ohio’s about to get a big economic boost from Honda. Honda of America Mfg., Inc is going to invest $23 million in Marysville, Ohio’s economy to expand its Marysville manufacturing plant by 95,000 square feet. The reason? The company is going to construct the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid there.

This will be the third hybrid model that Honda will build in the US, and the first in Ohio. It will be equipped with two motors — the Earth Dreams Technology 2.0-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine and a 124 kW electric traction motor.

The electric motor can function as an electric, continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), and a 105kW electricity generator.

Electric motors are conceptually very similar to generators because they utilize the same basic principle of electromagnetic induction, which is why motors in general can also generate electricity by default. Although, certain types, such as induction motors, require minor modification before they will generate electricity.

The Need For Electric Vehicles

Hybrid electric vehicles are part of the transition to fully electric vehicles, which are only part of the effort to facilitate both transportation and electricity generation without coal, diesel, or oil.

Electric vehicles facilitate this because they can be powered by any fuel or energy source, even garbage, landfill gas, hydrogen, WVO, and of course sunlight and wind.

This versatility is paramount to getting the United States off oil, or any other energy source with which it has problems.

Honda’s Ohio Love

Over the last three years, Honda has announced that it has invested over $800 million in its Ohio factories. These investments include projects to establish on-site parts consolidation centers, renovate auto assembly and painting operations, and make major investments at the Anna Engine Plant (as well as its transmission plant in Russells Point) to manufacture continuously variable transmissions (CVTs).

Source: Green Car Congress